Manchin Still Optimistic About Bipartisan Gun Legislation

Sen. Joe Manchin is still "very hopeful" that bipartisan gun legislation expanding background checks will pass in the Senate.

The West Virginian Democrat co-authored the gun measure with Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, but it failed to get the necessary 60 votes to pass in the Senate in April.

Manchin told The Hill that he's working to bring the legislation back and that he's considering clarifying the language in the bill so that some lawmakers are more comfortable with it.

For example, one of the complaints about the initial bill was that it only required background checks for commercial sales, not private sales. Some wanted the bill to go further than it did.

Manchin said that he's not concerned that recent Internal Revenue Service and Justice Department controversies will detract from support for the gun legislation, The Hill reported.

"There's a lot going on and people have to have trust in their government, that's really what counts," Manchin told The Hill.

"It's been a bipartisan approach between me and Pat Toomey and all the different people involved can keep it that way and hopefully we can look at the facts and the facts will win out the day," he added.